Hoe.



PATENTED OCT. .25, 1904.

W. HOWZB.

HOE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1, 1904.

no MODEL.

flnventor f WILLIAM HOWZE Q 8 n r. O I t. 3

UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM HOWZE, OF CAIRO, GEORGIA,,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO T. F. MOORE,OF CAIRO, GEORGIA.

HOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 773,256, dated October25, 1904.

Application filed September 1, 1904: Serial No. 222,961] (No model.)

To all whom it incty concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Howzn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cairo, in the county of Thomas and State of Georgia, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Hoes, of which the following isa specification.

My invention pertains to means for fixing tool-blades, more particularlyhoe-blades on handles; and it consists in the peculiar and advantageousconstruction hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims appended.

In the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, Figurel is a perspective view of a hoe embodying my invention, the same beingshown with a portion of its handle broken away. Fig. 2 isa longitudinalvertical section of the same, and Fig. 3 is a perspective View of theforward portion of the handle as the same appears when removed from theblade.

Similar letters designate corresponding parts in all of the views of thedrawings, referring to which A is the blade of the hoe. B is the handle,and C is the screw, hereinafter described, for fixing the blade on thehandle.

As best shown in Fig. 2, the bladeAis provided with a rearwardly-extending eye a, which is preferably increased in diameter toward itsrear end and is provided in turn with a portion 5 of increasedthickness, in which is a threaded aperture 0 to receive the screw C. Thesaid screw C is preferably provided with a winged head (Z to facilitateturning thereof; but it obviously may have a head of any descriptionwithout involving a departure from the scope of my invention.

The handle B comprises a body 6, preferably of wood, having a forwardtapered portion f and a metallic tongue g, connected by screws h orother means to the body a and extending to the forward endv of the bodyand having its forward portion curved transversely, as shown in Figs. 1and 3, so as to snugly conform to said forward end of the body. Theconnection of the metallic tongue 9 to the body 0 is located in rear ofthe forward portion f of the body, and from this it follows that theforward free portion of the tongue will tend to normally spring awayfrom the forward portion of the body, as shown in Fig. 3; also, thatwhen the said forward portion of the tongue is pressed against theforward portion of the body it will exert pressure outwardly or in adirection away from the portion f.-

In assembling the parts of my novel tool the forward portion of thetongue 9 is pressed against the forward portion f of the handle body 6,and the forward end of the handle is pressed into the eye a of theblade. The screw C is then turned inwardly, so as to hold the forwardportion of the tongue g under pressure against the forward portion f ofthe handle-body and fix the forward end of the handle in the eye a ofthe blade. In virtue of the forward portion of the tongue g'having atendency to spring outwardly, it will be observed that the said portionwill exert considerable outward pressure against the inner end of thescrew C, and thereby effectually prevent casual outward turning of thescrew and the consequent loosening of the handle in the eye a of theblade. It will also be observed that the forward portion of the metallictongue will serve as a wear-platet'. a, will effectually prevent thescrew C from indenting or otherwise injuring the wooden body of thehandle B. 7

While the forward portion of the tongue g serves by exerting outwardpressure against the screw C to preclude casual loosening of the handlein the eye a of the blade, it will be appreciated that when it isdesired for any purpose to remove the handle from the blade the same maybe readily accomplished by first turning the screw outwardly and thenwithdrawing the handle endwise from the eye a.

The permanent connection of the metallic tongue gto thehandle-bodyeisadvantageous, because it lends resiliency tothe forward portion of thetongue, as stated, and also because it precludes the loss or misplacingof the tongue when the handle is disconnected from the blade.

In addition to the advantages which I have hereinbefore ascribed to mynovel hoe, it will be noticed that the same is simple and inexpensive inconstruction and embodies no delicate parts, such as are likely to getout of order after a short period of use.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction andrelative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and preferredembodiment of my invention in order to impart a full, clear, and exactunderstand ing of the said embodiment. Ido not desire, however, to beunderstood as confining myself to such specific construction andrelative arrangement of parts, as such changes or modifications may bemade in practice as fairly fall within the scope of my invention asclaimed.

Having described my invention, what 1 claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. The combination of a tool-blade having an eye provided in its wallwith a threaded aperture, a screw bearing in the said threaded apertureof the eye, and a handle comprising a body portion shaped to enter theeye of the blade, and a metallic tongue permanently connected to thebody portion and having a forward resilient portionarranged to beengaged by and exert outward pressure against the inner end of thescrew.

2. In a hoe, the combination of a blade having a rearwardly-extendingeye gradually increased in diameter toward its rear end, and also havinga threaded aperture in the wall of the eye, a screw bearing in the saidthreaded aperture of the eye, and a handle comprising a body having aforward tapered portion, and a tongue permanently connected to the saidbody in rear of the said tapered portion thereof, and having a forwardresilient portion arranged to be engaged by and exert outward pressureagainst the inner end of the screw.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

lVlLLIAM HOW Zlfl.

WVitnesses:

S. B. SINGLETARY, G. E. GIMER.

